The Acura MDX is a sharp three-row SUV that shares its roots with the Honda Pilot. The similarities between the two stop at the platform, however, as the MDX is more upscale, more engaging to drive, and more sharply styled. Acura skipped over the 2021 model year for the MDX, instead opting for a refreshed model in 2022. The new SUV is more of all the good things that it predecessor was, with the addition of new technologies and features. Acura recently announced that production for the higher-performance MDX Type S has begun, meaning we’re about to see the hotted-up SUV in the wild.

Interior finishes and features are all high-end.Acura

While the standard MDX gets a 290-hp V6, the Type S receives a massaged version of the engine with a turbocharger that produces 355 horsepower. Beyond its significant power advantage, the Type S also gets adaptive air suspension, Brembo front brakes, and 21-inch wheels. Acura says the Type S is the most luxurious MDX it has made to date. To prove it, the automaker added nine-way massaging front seats and a 25-speaker Acura ELS Studio sound system to the Advance Package trim.

Massaging seats are available for the top Advance Package trim.Acura

Unsurprisingly, the Type S carries a notable price premium over its standard counterpart. The SUV’s starting price is $67,745 including destination. The top MDX Type S with Advance Package starts at $73,095. The 2022 MDX was designed, tested, and developed in the United States. It’s joined by the standard MDX in production at Acura’s East Liberty facility in Ohio. The NSX supercar is also built in America, by hand, in Marysville, Ohio. Additionally, Acura notes that all of its 2022 model-year vehicles sold in the U.S. are built in the U.S. using domestic and global parts.